#RealCollegeCA Survey Results
Vinnie Wu
2025-11-14
Disaggregating by Race/Ethnicity
Overview
This section uses results from the #RealCollegeCA survey to examine how Fullerton College students experience food insecurity, housing insecurity, and homelessness, with a focus on racial and ethnic disparities.
Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian students reported the highest rates of both food (65%) and housing insecurity (65%), followed closely by Middle Eastern and North African students (63% and 65%). Black or African American students continued to face elevated challenges across all basic needs areas, with nearly half experiencing food insecurity and two-thirds reporting at least one form of insecurity.
Latina/o/x students, who represent a large portion of the student body, also reported persistently high rates of food (43%) and housing (60%) insecurity. Although American Indian or Alaska Native, White, and Asian subgroups (South, East, and Southeast) reported comparatively lower rates, these still affected one-third to one-half of students.
About the Students
Figure 1: Respondents by Race/Ethnicity
Food Insecurity
Although Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian students represented a smaller sample size, nearly two-thirds (65%) reported experiencing food insecurity, the highest rate among all racial and ethnic groups in 2025. Similarly, Middle Eastern and North African students reported high rates of food insecurities (63%), underscoring ongoing disparities in access to basic needs resources.
Black or African American students also reported elevated rates (49%), remaining disproportionately affected compared to many other groups. Latina/o/x students, while slightly lower at 43%, continued to experience food insecurity at levels that warrant attention, given their large representation in the student population.
Figure 2: Food Insecurity by Race/Ethnicity
Housing Insecurity
In spring 2025, housing insecurity followed a similar pattern as food insecurity, with Middle Eastern and North African students (65%) and Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian students (65%) reporting the highest levels of housing insecurity.
Black or African American students (61%) and Latina/o/x students (60%) also reported higher-than-average rates, reflecting a substantial and ongoing disparity relative to other groups. These findings suggest that many of the same populations facing food insecurity are also more likely to experience challenges with consistent housing access.
Figure 3: Housing Insecurity by Race/Ethnicity
Homelessness
Patterns for homelessness differed somewhat from those observed for food and housing insecurity. About two in three Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian students (65%) reported experiencing homelessness, the highest rate observed in spring 2025, though this estimate should be interpreted with caution due to small sample sizes. Black or African American students (32%) also reported elevated homelessness rates relative to most groups.
Although Latina/o/x students reported high rates of food and housing insecurities, they reported lower levels of homelessness (16%), as did White, (18%), East Asian (12%), Other Asian (7%), and South Asian (6%) students.
Figure 4: Homelessness by Race/Ethnicity
At Least One Insecurity
Overall, Middle Eastern and North African students (77%), Pacific Islander and Native Hawaiian students (71%), Black or African American students (68%), and Latina/o/x (68%) students reported experiencing at least one insecurity, affecting about 7 out of 10 students.
Although American Indian or Alaska Native, White, and Asian (South, East, and Southeast) students reported comparatively lower rates of students experiencing at least one insecurity (33%–57%), these proportions remain substantial.
The findings reinforce that basic needs insecurity is a widespread issue across student populations, emphasizing the importance of sustained, targeted interventions and campus-wide coordination to ensure equitable access to essential resources and support services.
Figure 5: At Least One Insecurity by Race/Ethnicity